The Concord-Carlisle Regional School Committee (RSC) voted to approve a 23-member Concord-Carlisle High School (CCHS) Building Committee at their meeting on June 22. The charge of the committee is to implement the feasibility study agreement between the Massachusetts School Building Authority (MSBA) and the regional school district. The new committee will be responsible for conformance to the regulations and guidelines of the state.

Superintendent Diana Rigby said over three dozen community members applied. “We were pleased with the response.” The committee represents the community with members from government, education, finance and the construction trade. Some members have skills in architecture and engineering. Rigby said the committee has great representation and “it’s a strong building committee…I appreciate all who volunteered.”

Unlike the Carlisle School Building Committee, which reports to the town of Carlisle, the Concord-Carlisle School Building Committee (CCSBC) will report to the RSC. This is because the Regional School District is its own entity.

There was a discussion about sustainable design. The charge states, “The RSC intends that the completed project shall meet the criteria of the highest Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) rating possible. The committee shall determine if a Platinum rating is achievable and report findings to the RSC.” RSC member Jerry Wedge explained that the goal is to make the project as green as financially possible. The Willard School had received grants to make it more energy efficient. Without the grants, it would not have been affordable. Wedge said, “We want to know what it will cost” to get to the Platinum level. Wedge said the scope, cost and schedule will be identified by the state. With the project completing five years from now, sustainability goals may be raised over that time by the state.

Currently CCHS is on the MSBA repair list. The RSC and the administration are working hard to get CCHS transferred to the MSBA renovation list. They hope to meet with MSBA in the next two weeks to make that change. Rigby said the MSBA has all the CCHS documentation and the recently completed Feasibility Master Plan.